Search for the Greatest Treasure
by Goveg
Summary: Floating around in the Etherium, Scroop surely would have died if it hadn't been for a lone spacer who managed to rescue him from a lonely death. Now stuck with his rescuer and on the run from various enemies, Scroop has to learn to live with various changes. Changes from the outside and changes from the inside. Scroop/Male OC
1. Chapter 1

Well hi there, Treasure Planet fanfic readers. Here I am, a new Treasure Planet fanfic writer with a story. A story that I am really nervous about mostly because it's Scroop paired up with a male OC and I am not sure how that will turn out at the moment.

Scroop is my favorite character of the movie and I was a bit disappointed to see very few fanfics surrounding him. So I decided to whip up this fanfic.

If male/male pairings bothers you in anyway, there is a magical thing called "the back button". It will let you leave the page and then you will never have to remember it ever again.

Well all right then, here we go.

* * *

_**Prologue**_

_"Cabin boy..."_

The Mantavor pirate, Scroop, flexed his claws, grinning wickedly down at the cabin boy that he hated so much.  
The boy turned and ran off with Scroop racing after him. In a desperate attempt to escape, the boy began pushing over barrels behind him to slow the Mantavor down. It didn't work. Scroop only dodged the objects, intent on catching his prey. Long John Silver will not protect this brat anymore!

He was so focused on his prey, he did not notice Silver's little pink shape shifter, Morph, until it smashed into his face in the form of a whipped cream pie. Scroop snarled with anger as he yanked the blob off and threw him into the ventilation system.  
Now that was out of the way, where was the cabin boy now?

Heading towards a corner, he was shocked when the boy leapt out and pointed a blaster straight at the pirate's heart. The expression on the pirate's face was a look of surprise and horror. As if a dark force heard him, the lights suddenly went out dipping the corridors in complete darkness. Thinking fast, Scroop leaped on the wall and climbed up to the roof. Red lights shone suddenly from the backup lighting. Below him, Scroop could see the cabin boy searching for him. The Mantavor slowly crawled down, opening his claws to prepare for the final kill. A noise made him turn his head to one side. He came face to face with Morph. The little pink blob cried out in fear at the sight of the arachnid. It turned into a hand and poked the yellow eyes of the Mantavor. Scroop uttered a growl of pain and rage as Morph got sucked up in the pipes again. The cabin boy whirled around and looked up. Enraged, Scroop backhanded the boy, leaping on top of him to slice his throat.

Unfortunately for him, the gravitational force disappeared. Both cabin boy and pirate began to float up in the air. The boy kicked out, landing the blow squarely on the Mantavor's chest. The blow was strong enough to make Scroop crash out of the window and into open air. Thinking quickly, Scroop quickly grabbed onto a rope on the mainmast, lashing out at the boy as he floated past. Tilting his head back, he watched as the boy floated up near the mast, snarling in disappointment when the boy grabbed onto the pirate flag.

He narrowed his eyes and grinned wickedly. He'll finish the job.

Chuckling with malicious delight, the Mantavor began to climb towards his victim.

The blaster floated by the boy as he desperately reached for it. "Come on, come on, come on!"  
He made an attempt to grab it, but only succeeded in knocking it away and into space  
"No!"

"Oh yessss," Scroop grinned wickedly when he reached the crows nest. He started to saw slowly through the rope.  
"Do say hello to Mr. Arrow for me…"

The cabin boy climbed down the flag and hurled himself onto the mast. Scroop snarled and lunged towards the boy, determined to finish him once and for all.

"Tell him yourself!" The boy yelled, releasing the mast and kicking off on Scroop's back. Scroop was blinded for a few seconds as the flag enveloped him. With a snarl, he sliced an opening through the flag and looked down.

The ship seemed to be getting smaller and smaller.

Realizing what this meant, Scroop could do nothing now except scream in terror.

* * *

Well, that's the prologue, something that we know from watching the movie.

The rest of the story will be coming soon. Hopefully.

So until then, I'll just be sitting in a corner and biting my nails nervously.


	2. Arch

OK, so far so good. I guess it's safe to post up a new chapter to the story and give my fingernails a break. XD

Again, if you are uncomfortable with male/male pairings then there is the back button. Although if you are uncomfortable with it, then why on earth are you still reading this?

Treasure Planet belongs to Disney. I own nothing, unfortunately.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Arch**

Consciousness slowly took over Scroop as he opened his eyes, closing them again as flashes of pain lanced through his head.

Where was he?

The last thing he remembered was floating through the Etherium. Four days, he recalled. Four days floating through space and growing weaker from lack of food and water. Now he was warm and was relaxing quite comfortably in something soft, a bed or possibly a hammock. He slowly eased his eyes open once more and stared straight into yellow eyes.

Instinctively the Mantavor lashed out, his claws clenched in a fist which slammed right under the yellow eye. The stranger yowled and scrambled back while Scroop jumped to his six feet, flexing his claws to defend himself. Nausea came upon him, causing him to stumble and fall back on the bunk. He slowly turned his head to face the stranger and was surprised to see it was another Mantavor like himself. He was a darker red color and had grayish hair. He was wearing a white long sleeved shirt with a blue vest and around his neck was a dark brown ascot. The Mantavor was slowly massaging the face area where Scroop had punched, staring at him in bewilderment. He slowly gave Scroop a sly smile.

"Quite a punch you've got there…"

"Who in blazes are you and what do you want?!" Scroop snarled threateningly.

The Mantavor raised his claws harmlessly. "Now, now, take it easy there. Is that anyway to show appreciation to the one who saved your life?"

Scroop raised a brow. "Saved…you saved…my life?"

"Correct." The stranger nodded. "You are now snug and safe in my own vessel, _Captain Flint_."

Scroop stared at the Mantavor in disbelief. "'Captain Flint'? You named your vessel—"

"Yes, yes," The Mantavor waved a claw dismissively. "I was just sailing through the Etherium when I noticed a fellow floating along. Turned out the fellow was you and…" he shrugged. "I couldn't let someone float along and possibly starve to death. Speaking of that, here…"

The Mantavor pushed a bowl in front of Scroop. The pirate stared down at the bowl of brown stew with several cubed bits floating among it. He frowned when he recognized this meal.

"Bonzabeast stew?'

"Yes, how did you know?"

Scroop only snorted, glaring at the Mantavor who frowned.

"I see I am not about to get thanks from you…it's not poison if that's what you're thinking."

"I'm not hungry!" Scroop hissed. "Even if I were, I don't like or trust you enough to accept any food from you!"

The Mantavor gave another crafty smile. "All right then…" He then held up a claw towards Scroop. "I'll introduce myself then. The name's Arch."

Scroop only glared down at the Mantavor's claw, raising a brow. "Arch? Is that some sort of nickname?"

Arch flinched at that question though it only lasted about a second. "Well…you could say that…" he muttered, hoping that this Mantavor didn't notice him flinching.

Scroop smiled evilly. He had noticed. "Well in order for me to completely trust you, I must know your real name."

Arch said nothing, causing Scroop's smile to widen.

"Well, what is it? Archimedes? Archie? Or what about—"

Arch suddenly grabbed the bowl of bonzabeast stew and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Scroop snarled. "What are you doing?!"

Arch turned his head to glare at Scroop. "I thought you said you weren't hungry."

"I'm not!" Scroop snapped. At that moment, a huge growl rumbled from Scroop's stomach. Arch smirked at this, causing Scroop to turn his head away in rage. How he wished he was strong enough to slash that smirk away from the Mantavor's face!

Arch went over to stand in front of Scroop, glaring down at him. "If you are to stay here on my ship, there is one main rule you have to follow." He then thrust his face towards Scroop's, glaring straight into his eyes. "Never ask me about my real name…got it?"

Scroop gave a defiant sneer, but in reality he was a bit nervous of Arch's gaze.

Arch pulled back from Scroop and dropped the bowl of stew in front of Scroop.

"Now eat up or else I'll change my mind. I'll be back in a little while."

Scroop could only glare as he watched Arch leave the room, leaving him alone in the bunk. Turning his attention to the bowl of stew, he carefully lapped up a bit of the stew with his long tongue, pausing to check for any signs of poisoning. After a few minutes passed with no signs of pain, Scroop immediately began lapping up the stew, realizing just how hungry he was.

However there was one thing on his mind that he had no doubt about.

He hated this Arch character.


	3. Tea and annoyances

Here we are in chapter 2 of the story. I'm surprised that it's actually coming around decently with plenty of ideas dancing in my head. :D

However, I still have to figure out how to connect these ideas together...I'll think of something.

Until then, enjoy the next chapter. Again, if male/male pairings bother you in anyway then why are you still continuing on with reading this fanfic?

* * *

**Chapter 2: Tea and annoyances**

After finishing the stew in just a few minutes, Scroop took the opportunity to settle in the bunk, stare off into nothing and wonder how in the universe he became stuck in a situation like this.

He sneered. He knew very well just how. The cabin boy had managed to escape his grasp and send him off spinning into the Etherium.

He flexed his claws in frustrations.

Damn that cabin boy!

Always snooping around, poking his nose into everybody's business, being an upstart little whelp.

It was also the fault of Long John Silver. His former captain had grown weak and soft spending time with that cabin boy. Scroop had never liked Silver before, but the relationship between Silver and the cabin boy had made his loathing for the captain reach an extremely high peak.

Scroop hissed as he turned in the cot, trying to get more comfortable. If he had been in charge, perhaps the failed mutiny might not have happened. He would never have gone soft and weak.

He growled as unwanted memories began to resurface. He gave another growl as he buried his face into the pillow, pushing away the memories from his mind. He swore that he would never deal with them ever again.

"Well, that didn't take long!"

Scroop lifted his head from the pillow to find Arch standing near the cot with a cup in his claws, nudging the empty bowl with one of his spidery legs.

Arch handed the cup towards Scroop. "Here, you have to drink this."

Scroop leaned forward and gave the liquid a disgusted sniff. "What is this?"

"It's a little tea I whipped up." Arch explained. "It'll help you sleep."

"I am fine!" Scroop snapped. "I don't need it!"

Arch narrowed his eyes. "If you think this is poison, it's not. If I had wanted to murder you, I would have poisoned your stew. But I didn't."

"And how do I know that?" Scroop snarled.

"You'll have to trust me. It will make you better."

"I don't care! I still don't need it!"

Arch glared at Scroop. Before Scroop could react, Arch had lunged at him and had pinned him down to the bed. The Mantavor pirate struggled, but to his complete rage he found himself unable to throw the other Mantavor off. Amazingly, Arch managed to pry open Scroop's jaws with one of his claws while still holding on to the cup of tea with the other. Scroop gagged as he felt the warm tea pour down his throat. His muscles relaxed and he went limp as the tea took effect.

"You're a fighter," Arch remarked as he got off, "maybe I should take the smart route and tie you to the bed."

Scroop weakly snarled as he shot a hateful glance at Arch who gave a menacing glare.

"Seriously, don't make me do that."

Scroop hissed as he lowered his head on the pillow, the effect of the tea starting to make him drowsy.

Arch pulled the blankets up to Scroop's chin and gave him a cheerful pat on the head much to the pirate's annoyance.

"We're about to come to a spaceport in order to restock the ship. You need to stay here and sleep like a good little patient while I buy some more supplies. Is that clear?"

Scroop gave a groan.

"Good." Arch smiled. "Now stay here, I'll be right back."

Scroop could do nothing except glare as Arch left the room, leaving him alone again. He slowly closed his eyes as sleep took over.

"One of these days…one of these days…I'll get you…"

* * *

A/N: This is going to be the last chapter for a week for I will be going to California for a vacation and some family events. But don't worry, I will be uploading more chapters next week. Hopefully I will also have some more ideas on how to connect one idea to the other.

Until then, I'll see you later.


	4. The Map

I am so sorry this chapter took so long to upload, but I started school about two weeks ago and didn't had enough time to write fanfics or upload. Not to mention my Treasure Planet muse took a little vacation around that time. For that, I apologize for saying in the last chapter that this chapter would have been uploaded sooner.

I didn't mean to lie! D: So please forgive me and here's the next chapter like I promised.

* * *

**Chapter 3: The map**

Scroop awoke from his sleep a few hours later, and was surprised to find himself feeling greatly refreshed. He hated to admit it, but Arch's tea sure has done its work in making him feel a bit better.

Speaking of Arch, he had to find a way to get out of this ship and away from the annoying Mantavor. Scroop slowly got out of the cot and slowly stood up, only to fall back on the cot. He was still sick and weak, a fact that infuriated him. He pulled the covers up to his chin and closed his eyes, seething.

He had worked hard to gain a reputation as an emotionless brutal pirate who showed no concern over the lives he took. His victims were always fear stricken at the sight of him and always begged for mercy but to no avail. Weakness was something Scroop spat upon, yet here he was…weak and pathetic.

"And how's my little patient behaving right now?"

Scroop opened one eye and glared up at Arch who was standing over him, smiling his familiar cunning smile.

"What do you want?" Scroop slowly growled.

"I'm just checking up on you." Arch informed. "Did you just wake up?"

Scroop gave a grunt, which Arch took as a yes.

"Well I suppose you'll believe me now, considering that the tea I gave you made you sleep for five straight hours."

Scroop stared at him. "I slept for five hours?"

Arch nodded.

"I thought you were going to get supplies!"

"I did," Arch informed. "I had enough time, so I spent the remaining four hours in a pub."

"Doing what?" Scroop narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Oh you know," Arch waved a claw dismissively, "having a few drinks, playing a few card games, that sort of stuff."

Scroop frowned. "Never thought of you as a gambling man…"

Arch shrugged. "There are things you have never thought about me…then again you never asked and I doubt you even care."

"You're right." Scroop hissed. "I don't."

"Ah well, I figured you wouldn't. Well anyway, I have to admit I was on a lucky stride, winning the bets game after game. I didn't know how lucky I was until I won this…"

He proudly held up a little metal ball.

Scroop blinked. "A map?"

Arch gave a proud nod. "Won it fair and square from this old spacer, even told me which markings to push in order to open it."

Arch ran his claw over the markings on the map and after a bit of fiddling around managed to open the map. The room became green as various planets appeared in midair. Arch went over to one of the planets and touched it, causing star fields to move around the room until two planets came into view. Arch carefully studied the planets before speaking.

"Hmm, that is the planet Alpone…which is only a few weeks journey from here. If we can then navigate our course, then we can reach this planet."

He nodded towards the other planet which was farther away from the planet Alpone.

"Well, what is on that planet?" Scroop wanted to know.

"Who knows?" Arch shrugged as the map closed. "Treasure, most likely."

Scroop frowned. "Hmph, if you want treasure, better find your way to Treasure Planet…"

Arch looked at him. "I'm afraid that's not possible."

"And why not?"

"Because rumor is Treasure Planet has been blown to pieces."

"WHAT?!" Scroop stared at Arch with complete shock.

"It's been blown up, it's finished." Arch nodded.

"B-but…how?!"

"From what I've heard, a pirate crew tried to steal Flint's loot of a thousand worlds, resulting in the planet to explode. I've also heard that a young man named Jim Hawkins managed to save the whole crew some way or another."

Scroop nearly choked with rage.

Jim Hawkins?! The cabin boy blew up Treasure Planet and the treasure within it?!

Scroop felt the familiar chill of hatred creep upon him.

Arch meanwhile was shaking his head in disgust. "Pirates…such morons, the lot of them. Always so full of greed they would lose their heads." He noticed Scroop's furious look. "You all right?"

"I'm fine!" Scroop snapped.

Arch raised a brow.

"I just need some sleep," Scroop muttered as he settled back in the cot.

Arch nodded. "Very well, I'll be setting sail then."

Scroop watched as Arch left the room, his fury still not diminished. The cabin boy has ruined everything! He ruined Long John Silver, he ruined the mutiny, and now he ruined Scroop's lifelong dream in obtaining treasure from Treasure Planet!

Scroop had never hated the cabin boy as much as he was beginning to hate him now. Now where is that damnable boy right now!? Possibly off on his home planet being hailed as a local hero no doubt. It made Scroop sick. His rage slowly diminished as he settled his head down on the pillow and began pondering about this situation.

Well Treasure Planet is finished, thanks to that accursed cabin boy. He frowned.

The last time he saw the cabin boy was when he was being pulled into the Etherium. The cabin boy would definitely believe that the Mantavor pirate had been defeated for good and floating in the Etherium dead as a doornail. But Scroop wasn't dead. He was weak, but still alive and still wanting revenge against the boy.

Realizing this, he smiled his familiar smile, one that always told his crewmates that something deadly was forming in his mind. Indeed, a plan was already mentally being laid out.

He was in no condition to fight after spending a few days in the Etherium without food or water. He'll allow Arch to nurse him back to health and stay with him. Arch has obtained a map…a map that could possibly lead to some sort of treasure, perhaps not Flint's trove but its treasure nonetheless. So that settles it. He will stay with Arch and let him nurse him back to health. That is until they find the treasure. Once they find it, Scroop will slit the other Mantavor's throat and take the treasure and the ship for himself. Then he will find Jim Hawkins and make him pay for every misery he has caused the Mantavor.

Scroop drifted off to sleep, a sinister grin on his face.

* * *

A/N: Well there you have it. I promise that more chapters will be coming, but will be uploaded slowly. I have not given up on this fanfic, I am determined to finish even if it kills me! *raises fist in triumph*


	5. Exploration of Captain Flint

Well it's been awhile but I finally managed to write up the next chapter. It's kind of a boring chapter since it contains Scroop just checking out Arch's ship and such. But there is a hint of desire near the end of the chapter which will evolve later on.

So enjoy the chapter!

Again, if you are uncomfortable reading male/male pairings...why the heck are you still reading this after four (five, counting the prologue) chapters of the same warning?

* * *

_**Chapter 4: Exploration of Captain Flint**_

A week had passed since Scroop's rescue from the Etherium. He was slowly getting his strength back due to the tea Arch always gave him each day. After the incident of Arch pinning him to the cot, he didn't want a repeat of that so he forced himself to drink the tea. To his surprise, the tea didn't taste as vile as he thought it would be. In fact it tasted a bit like peppermint and perhaps it was. He could live with the tea.

Of course he was still under the supervision of Arch who always checked in every hour which infuriated the pirate. Sometimes Arch would try to strike up a conversation with Scroop, which the pirate ignored every time. After several unsuccessful attempts to start a conversation, Arch had finally realized he would never get an answer from the Mantavor he had rescued. So for the next few days he would only poke his head into the room and then leave when he saw that everything was fine.

By the second week, Scroop decided he was well enough to try to move. Using the cot and other nearby furniture to steady himself, he managed to slowly walk around his room. After practicing for a few days, he felt ready to walk out of his room and explore the rest of Arch's ship.

One evening, Scroop slowly opened the door to his room and took a few quick glances down the long and narrow hall. Satisfied that it was safe, he stepped into the hall and went down to his left towards a door. Reaching it, he was surprised to find it opened just a crack and he could hear strange clucking sounds. Pushing the door open, he found himself in the store room. The clucking sounds came from a small crate standing on a large barrel. Peering between the cracks, Scroop saw strange animals inside. The animals had a reptilian body with claws and a long tail, but unlike a regular reptile they had feathers, wings on their backs, beaks and red combs on their heads. These creatures were called Opelnchic, an animal that was a mix of a chicken and an iguana. Scroop gave the crate a tap with his claw, causing the Opelnchics to squawk and flutter their wings in panic. He smirked and turned away to focus his attention on other barrels. Searching through the supplies, he found a crate filled with biscuits. Reaching in, Scroop groped around for a biscuit and brought it up to his face. He sniffed it and gave it a tiny lick.

Hardtack, just like the ones he used to eat back on the pirate ship. Comforted by this bland but familiar food, Scroop began to eat. As he swallowed he felt something sliding down his throat. He frowned and sniffed the hardtack. It smelled normal, but there was something odd about the taste and the feeling of it that he couldn't place his claw on.

Suddenly, something brushed past his legs. Scroop dropped the hardtack in alarm, looking down at the ground to search for whatever brushed against him. The creature had a long weasel-like body with a feline face and a black and orange pelt. The creature looked up, eyes half closed and growling. It was then Scroop realized that the creature wasn't growling…it was purring.

"Shoo," Scroop hissed, nudging it away with one of his legs. The creature pressed itself against his other leg, still purring and rubbing.

"Go away!" Scroop snarled, giving it a light kick. Even the kick didn't faze the creature as it latched itself onto his leg again. Finally Scroop reached down, grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and tossed it to one side. Whirling around, he stormed out of the store room and slammed the door shut behind him. Figuring that he had seen enough of the store room, Scroop turned his attention to the room that was across from his. Except for a desk standing to one side, the room turned out to be a room similar to his. Sniffing with disinterest, Scroop closed the door and headed towards the stairs which led up to the deck. The dying light gave little warmth on his exoskeleton skin as he stepped onto the open deck. He breathed in the brisk space air. Scroop had never liked being stuck in an enclosed space and after being stuck in a room for nearly two weeks, he relished being out in open air again.

A movement by the port side caused him to turn his head. Arch was tying some roping for the sails, his back turned towards Scroop. Arch then immediately began to climb up the ratlines up towards the sails. Scroop stepped back and tilted his head back, watching as Arch crawled up and down the masts, unfurling sails, tying some loose ropes. The more Scroop watched, the more impressed he became with how focused Arch was with his task, his agility and his speed. Something stirred within Scroop, something he hadn't felt for a long time, a feeling of desire.

Above in the mast, Arch finally looked down and spotted Scroop watching him. He gave a brief wave towards him and to Scroop's surprise he found himself slowly waving back.

With a brief nod, Arch turned back to his duty. Scroop gave a lustful smile.

He liked what he saw.

* * *

A/N: So is this love what Scroop is feeling? Nah...just plain normal lust. Love will come later.


	6. Dinner with Arch

_**Chapter 5: Dinner with Arch**_

After awhile, Arch finished his work and climbed down the ratlines towards Scroop. He gave him a brief nod.

"So, you're up."

"Very observant," Scroop sneered.

Arch ignored his sarcasm and motioned over to a barrel. "Wait over there."

Scroop raised a brow but he did what Arch indicated and went over to the barrel as Arch went down into the galley. A little while later he came back with two plates of food, settling both of them on the barrel. Scroop stared down at the pitiful meal.

A type of fish, small bits of green vegetation and a bit of salted meat, not a meal he considered filling.

"Dig in," Arch said. Scroop frowned and carefully took a bit of the meat. It tasted all right, if a bit salty but he was used to that. He ate his meal in silence, not bothering to look up from his meal until Arch said something. He lifted his head to stare at him.

"Huh?"

"I asked what your favorite color was." Arch took a bite of the green vegetation.

Scroop paused and thought for a moment before answering with the first color that came to his mind. "Green."

"Green? Why green?" Arch paused and added swiftly, "Mine's yellow."

Scroop glared at him. "And why should I care about that? In fact, why were you asking about favorite colors in the first place?"

Arch gave a small shrug. "I figured since we'll be shipmates for awhile, we'll have to get to know one another." He then leaned forward a bit, causing Scroop to lean back. "I want to know all about you, where you came from, what you worked as, and all that."

Scroop paused and looked down at his half eaten meal, narrowing his eyes. The silence lasted for a few minutes before Arch spoke again. "You still don't trust me, do you?"

Scroop looked up, eyes still narrowed suspiciously.

Arch gave an exasperated sigh. "Fine, I guess I'll go first then. Like every Mantavor, I was hatched on our home planet, Lekdera. I had four sisters and I was the only boy in the clutch of eggs that managed to hatch, so I was bullied a lot by them. Can you believe that?"

Scroop gave a smirk at the thought of a miniature Arch being bossed around by four female Mantavors.

"Life wasn't all bad though," Arch continued, "my mother made sure I had enough attention and my father visited every week."

Scroop was taken aback at this. "Your father visited you?"

In Mantavor society, males would usually leave the family when their eggs hatch, often at the insistence of the mother Mantavor. Hearing that a male was allowed to see his children was quite surprising.

Arch nodded. "I guess my mother had a strange fondness for him, so every week he would visit us, spend the night and then leave the next morning or sometimes he stayed a little longer."

Scroop frowned. He had never known his father and even though he knew it was how Mantavor society worked, he still wondered how his father was like and what he would think of his son. In a way, he was a bit jealous of Arch.

"When I became old enough to work," Arch continued on, "I managed to snag a job as a dock worker…loading…unloading ships…"

Now Arch's voice had slowly drifted away. Scroop watched as the Mantavor stared off into space and became quiet. The silence lasted for several minutes before Scroop gave a cough. Arch suddenly seemed to have snapped back into reality at the sound of the cough and finished his story rapidly.

"Well after years of that, I decided to go solo and sailed through the galaxy by myself."

He looked at Scroop. "The end."

Scroop stared long and hard at him, causing Arch to shift nervously and ask, "Anything else you'd like to know?"

"Yes," Scroop said, remembering the creature he encountered, "I didn't know you own a pet…"

"Oh, you mean Calico Jack?"

"Is that what the thing is called?"

"Yeah…found him as a kit roaming around an alleyway during one of my stops. Took him in, gave him some food and he's been with me ever since."

"And what good would a thing like that do?" Scroop sneered.

Arch gave him a glare. "He keeps the rats out of the storage."

Scroop sniffed and placed his chin on his claw, poking his food with the other.

"I told you my life story," Arch said, "now tell me yours. Did you have any siblings?"

Scroop's eyes looked up towards Arch. "Just two…"

"And they were?"

"…a brother and a sister…"

"And where are they now?"

"Don't know."

Scroop continued on poking his food, thinking that if he gave brief answers maybe Arch would stop asking questions. However, the next question got his attention.

"So why were you floating around in the Etherium with a pirate flag?"

Scroop felt a jolt as he looked up in alarm. "Pardon?"

"When I pulled you into my ship, you were tangled in a pirate flag. Where did that come from?"

Scroop felt his body tensing up. If he revealed to Arch that he had been a pirate, he would find himself in a jail cell at the next port. But if he kept silent, Arch would become suspicious. Scroop tapped his claw on the barrel, trying to come up with a story.

"Well…before…I…I was working on…a merchant ship." He slowly began to relax as the story formed. "We were heading to Montressor to deliver solar crystals…but our ship was attacked by pirates. They slaughtered half of the crew…the other half they took prisoner. I was part of the prisoners, but I managed to escape their cells and made my escape. I was so desperate to escape I climbed up their main mast and ran into the flag, causing the rope to snap and sent me flying into the Etherium."

He shrugged. "That's about it…I'm not sure if they are still looking for me…probably gave me up for dead, just as well."

Arch said nothing but stared at Scroop for a long time. Scroop focused on his food, poking at the green vegetables. He then felt a claw on his shoulder. He looked up and looked straight into Arch's eyes. He was surprised to hear how serious he sounded when he spoke.

"You don't have to worry about that now. You're safe here and I am not going to let any pirates crawl on my ship."

_Too late for that,_ Scroop thought darkly. Arch's gaze was starting to make him feel uncomfortable. He pushed his plate away.

"I think I've had enough for today…"

"Yes," Arch nodded, "I understand."

Scroop started to leave, but Arch stopped him.

"Wait, before you leave…I want to know your name."

Scroop stared at him. "My name?"

"Yes. You've been here for a couple of weeks, but I still don't know your name." He gave his usual smirk. "I can't keep on calling you 'the poor ungrateful sod' forever, can I?"

Scroop paused at that request. He debated with himself for a brief moment on whether to reveal his true name or use an alibi name. He took a deep breath.

"Scroop."

A brief pause.

"Scroop, eh?" Arch was nodding. "Interesting…"

Scroop rolled his eyes and started climbing up one of the masts. He reached the topsails and settled between the mast and the topsails. As he watched the evening sky turning into night, he began thinking about his dinner with Arch.

It had been insightful, somewhat. However he felt that there was something Arch is hiding about his past, something too secretive to be revealed to anyone. Unknown to him, Arch was thinking about the same thing.

A loud yowl made both Mantavors jump. Scroop looked down as Arch went below deck when the yowls grew louder and louder. The pirate cringed when he realized where those yowls were coming from.

He had forgotten he had locked the cat in the storage room.

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**A/N: **Hey there! I hope everyone had a good Christmas and a good New Years. I've made resolutions myself, which is to finish the fanfics I start!

Well this chapter features a little "dinner date" I suppose between Arch and Scroop. Still no romance yet, but soon eventually. Here you also get to discover a bit of Arch's past but that doesn't mean he has revealed all of it yet. He still has some secrets. What type of secrets do you ask?

I'M NOT TELLING! MWAHAHA!

But don't worry, you'll find out...eventually.


	7. Learning the Ropes

Hi guys! Sorry for not updating for so long, but that's what happens when you have tons of college work and assignments. Thank goodness Spring Break finally came around! So thanks for being patient and here's the next chapter for the fanfic.

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_**Chapter 6: Learning the Ropes**_

Around the same time Scroop was settling down for the night, life at a local tavern was going on as usual.

Spacers drank to their hearts content; some gambled, some challenged others to bout of arm wrestling while others spoke with low tones, not wanting anyone to hear their business.

One conversation was taking place at a table in one corner of the tavern. Seated at the table was an old spacer, a member of the same species of the infamous Captain Nathaniel Flint. Across the table were two cloaked figures and a small bag of coins placed near one of the figures.

"You are a local here in this tavern," one of the cloaked figures spoke, "have you've seen any Mantavors hanging about here?"

The spacer narrowed his eyes. "It'll cost ya' to hear what I have seen around these parts."

The cloaked figure reached into the small bag and pulled out a gold coin, tossing it at the informer. The spacer caught the coin and nodded.

"Yes, I've seen one about two weeks ago. He stayed here, took a few drinks and gambled a bit for a few hours before leaving."

"Did he mention anything about where he was going or what his name was?" The second cloak figured asked in a voice that was clearly female.

The spacer said nothing but flipped his coin and caught it, giving them a knowing look. Another coin was given to him. The spacer leaned back on his chair. "I did not catch his name, but I have a slight idea on where he was going."

"Where?" The figure with the male voice hissed.

The spacer became silent, glancing down at the two coins.

The female figure snarled and grabbed the bag, slamming it in front of the spacer. "Oh for heaven's sakes! Where?! WHERE WAS HE GOING?!"

The spacer took the bag, grinning widely. "He managed to win a map from one bloke, a map leading to an unknown planet with the planet Alpone smack-dab in the middle of the route."

The male figured turned to his companion. "Well my dear, it seems like we'll be heading towards Alpone."

"Oh, must we go to that dreary canine planet?"

"I'm afraid so, but if it means getting that traitor between our claws then Alpone it is."

"I'd be warned if I were you," The spacer spoke up, "Mantavors are not a species to underestimate."

It was then the cloaked figured took off the hood of his cloak. He was an Ailurian with blue fur coating his narrow face, black hair topping his head, sharp cat ears tuning in to the sounds of the tavern, and bright yellow feline eyes with a murderous glint.

"My friend, it is Archibald that must not underestimate me or my mate."

* * *

The warmth of the rising dawn was the first thing Scroop felt as he slowly eased his eyes open. He immediately shut them again as the dawn's light temporarily blinded him.

Damn these early morning sunrise. Why couldn't they start out soft and grow brighter later on in the day?

"Good morning."

Scroop nearly fell off the mast at the sound of Arch's voice. He was saved from falling several feet to the ground by Arch reaching out and grabbing his arm.

"Whoa there, careful where you step."

"What are you doing up here?!" A fully awake Scroop hissed.

"A solar wind has picked up," Arch explained, "so I'm just releasing some of the sails to insure a faster voyage to Alpone."

Scroop inched closer towards Arch, watching him tie up some of the ropes into sailor knots. He frowned as Arch was about to tie up the last knot. He grabbed the rope before Arch and started tying a knot.

Arch stared at him. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Those knots aren't going to hold the sails down for long. In an hour or so, they'll be loosening and the sails will be flying all over the place."

He pulled tightly on his knot and nodded with satisfaction. "There, that'll hold it."

Arch gave him a withering glance. "I've been doing these knots ever since I started sailing all over the galaxy. I've never encountered a problem before."

Scroop narrowed his eyes. "And how long have you've been sailing?"

Arch shrugged. "About six years or so."

"Ha! I've been sailing for thirteen years. Obviously you are still a young wet behind the ears whelp."

"Hey, I'm not that young!"

"Oh yes? How old are you?"

Arch said his age. Raising a brow, he asked Scroop, "What about you?"

Scroop said his age causing Arch to roll his eyes. "So you are older by two years, hurrah for you."

Scroop smirked as Arch looked down. "So how does breakfast sound like?"

A low growl from Scroop's stomach made him think that perhaps breakfast sounded like a good idea.

Both Mantavors went below deck into the store room where Calico Jack was sitting on some boxes calmly licking a paw. Spotting Arch and Scroop, Calico Jack leapt down and headed straight towards Arch, purring and rubbing against the Mantavor's leg. Arch leaned down and gave the cat a light scratch behind the ears with the tip of his claw. After that, he went over to the box containing hardtack and tossed one to Scroop. "Catch."

Scroop caught the hardtack with ease and bit into it, feeling the same strange sensation he felt the day before. He slowly chewed; trying to figure out what on earth it was.

"Don't let that bother you."

Scroop turned his head towards Arch, blinking. "Don't let what bother me?"

"The maggots."

Scroop stared. "What?!"

"Maggots." Arch confirmed.

Instantly, Scroop dropped his hardtack to the ground and spat out the bitten piece. He sputtered with outrage, "There are maggots in these?!"

"Of course," Arch frowned. "What's wrong?"

"WHAT'S WRONG?!" Scroop snarled with rage. "I ATE ONE THE DAY BEFORE! IF I HAD KNOWN THEY WERE FILLED WITH—"

"Calm down, will you?" Arch glared at Scroop. "I thought you were used to it."

"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I AM USED TO THAT?!"

"Every ship crew has maggots in their hardtack," Arch sniffed. "It's been that way since the first spacer set off sailing into the galaxy."

"Not with my crew," Scroop sneered, "we knew how to get rid of maggots."

"Oh yes?" Arch smirked, folding his arms and leaning back. "Enlighten me."

Scroop glared at him before turning towards the stock of food. "Do you have any fish or meat I can use?"

Arch nodded towards the food boxes. "Help yourself."

Scroop fished among the various meats and fish until he finally found a suitable piece of meat. Finding a slab of wood from a broken crate, Scroop placed the piece of meat on it and then placed it on top of the hardtack. Pretty soon various maggots crawled out from the hardtack and into the meat.

"Once we have enough maggots, we'll throw out the meat and put another one. Then we will continue on doing that until no more maggots appear."

Arch had a strange expression on his face as Scroop explained. An expression that looked a bit impressed but also a bit irritated.

"A waste of perfectly good meat, if you ask me."

Scroop smirked. "Is that the words of a young whelp that is angry that his elder knew better than him?"

"You are only a couple of years older!" Arch growled. "That doesn't make you an elder!"

"But I am older as you said," Scroop pointed out. "Now then young'un, let's dump these maggots overboard."

Arch growled as he followed Scroop above deck with Calico Jack following close by. Scroop suddenly froze in his tracks and he stared wide eyed at the sails. The sail knot he had firmly tied had loosened and was now flapping wildly in the solar winds while Arch's knots were in place. He narrowed his eyes and slowly turned his head towards Arch. Just as he suspected, Arch had his usual smirk but it was now wider with delight.

"Don't…say…a word…" Scroop growled dangerously.

"What's the matter?" Arch chuckled. "Getting a bit senile after thirteen years of tying knots?" Before Scroop could reply, Arch walked off towards the sails, laughing as if he had told a hilarious joke.

Scroop gave an annoyed growl as he went towards port side, dumping the maggot filled meat overboard. He looked down to see Calico Jack staring up at him.

"Ah, what are you smirking at?" He snapped. With a snarl he stormed back down to the store room. Calico Jack licked a paw before wandering off in search of rats.

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_A/N:_ The part about how to get maggots out of hardtack was actually something I've read in a book about sailors. They actually did that back then, usually with fish.

So there you have the next chapter and here you get to find out Arch's real name and meet the main villains of the story. And in case anyone doesn't know, the Ailurian species is Captain Amelia's species.

The next chapter will take awhile to post up, mostly because I'm not sure what should happen in the next part. ^^; But hopefully I will overcome that and I will be able to post up the next chapter soon.

Thanks for the reviews and patience!


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